"Sharpness matters" is our everyday credo. A sharp and well-maintained knife makes manual work easier and more precise in various applications, whether in a butcher shop, during hunting, on a farm, or on a construction site. The tools you use undergo significant stress, so knowledge about how to properly care for and sharpen them is essential to make life easier, complete tasks faster, and succeed in your work.
Work Sharp focuses on public education regarding sharpness and the three key approaches you need to know for the well-being of your blades: how to properly shape, sharpen, and hone.
Shaping
Shaping a blade may be necessary for several reasons: repairing a blade, restoring sharpness to an extremely worn blade, or changing the functional type of the blade. We also recommend shaping the blade when first using a new sharpening system. This ensures the greatest symmetry of the knife and restores its angle. Work Sharp Knife and Tool Sharpeners come with coarse sharpening belts designed to help you shape the blade and then move on to finer belts for sharpening and honing.
With Work Sharp, shaping is as simple as putting the appropriate sharpening belt on the sharpener, drawing the knife along the angle guide, and forming the edge on each side of the blade before switching the belt for sharpening.
Sharpening
Sharpening is best performed after intense use of the knife, when the blade is too dull to cut. Sharpening is also the second step after shaping the blade. In Work Sharp products, the process of shaping and sharpening is the same, with the only difference being the type of sharpening belt you use.
The most important step in sharpening, if you haven't shaped it first, is to create an edge. Check out our sharpening video to see how easy it is to shape or sharpen using a Work Sharp device.
We recommend sharpening knives on a monthly basis, especially for knives used moderately to intensively. Between sharpenings, keep knives in good condition by performing simple honing.
Honing
Maintaining the blade during or after use will help keep the edge longer. This is where honing comes in. A great and quick solution is ceramic rods, many of which are designed for Work Sharp sharpeners, such as the GUIDED FIELD SHARPENER. Another excellent option is a fine sharpening belt, which is part of Work Sharp’s electric sharpening solutions.
Honing is the process of straightening any minor waves or bends in the blade, and after just a few strokes on the belt or ceramic, you will feel a significant difference. Honing removes minimal material, and the more frequently you hone and maintain your knife, the longer it will stay sharp.
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